Railway signal system.



J. LEITGEB. RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1912.

Pa'tented Aug. 26, 1913.

l-nuz fltoz" i/9' ooo v i Ky John Lm'Zgebl aon'nnmrese, or GREAT FALLS,MONTANA.

RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters l atent.

Application filed October 2,1912. Serial Nol 723,535.

To all ughom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LEi'roEB, citizen of the United States ofAmerica. resid-,

ing at Great Falls, inthe county of Cascade and State of Montana, haveinvented new instance has particular application to and usefulImprovements in Railway Signal Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to'improvements in railway signal systems and inthe present a block signal system.

' In carrying out the present invention, it

is my purpose to provide a signal system whereby two trains may signaleach other automatically when approaching or following each other withinthe danger zone. and

furthermore. it is'iuy purpose to provide a' signal system wherein eachtram is equipped with a source of energy and a suitable form of signaland wherein the source of energy on each train will influence thesignal-on the other train in such manner that the engineers of bothtrains will be advised of the condition of the track.- It is also myintention to provide a railway signal system which will embrace thedesired features of simplicity, efficiency and durability coupled withcheapness of cost in construction and installation and which will be atall times reliable in use. V

\Vith the above and other objects in V ew, the invention consists in theconstruction,

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in andfalling within the scope of the claim. 7

In the accompanying drawing; the figure is a diagrammatic view of mysystem.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, T, T indicate twotrains which, in the present instance, are approaching each other withinthe danger zone. The. numeral 1 indicates one line of rails of thetrackway, the rails of such line being bonded to form a continuousmetallic conductor, while the numeral 2 indicates a conductor suitablysupported along-the trackway and divided into sections or blocks 3, bymeans of insulated material 4. Each tram, T, T is equipped with asuitable source of energy as a battery 5 for instance, and a circuitcloser 3 composed, in -the present instance, of a drum formed ofmetallic segments 7, 8 and insulating blocks or segments 9, 9 separatingthe metallic se ments and insulating the same one from t e other. Anysuitable.

cuit closer. In this form of my invention I employ an electric motor 10having a worm 11 onthe armature shaft thereof and meshing with a wormwheel 12 secured to the drum of the respective circuit closer. Lead-,ing from one side of each battery 5 is a conductor 13 terminating in abrush l4 bearing upon the drum of the respective circuit closer, whilefrom the opposite side of each battery leads a conductor 15 groundedupon the axle of the engine as at 16. Each train is equipped with acontact roller 17 bearing upon t e conductor 2 and connected by way of aconductor 18 with a brush 19 which latter bears upon the drum oftherespective circuitcloser. drum of the circuit closer on each train is abrush 20 connected to one terminal of a conductor 21 which latterextends through the windin s of an' electromagnet .22 and is ground uponthe axle of the respective car or engine as at 23. I

Arranged upon each train is a suitable torni of signal,-as a bell 24disposed within a tnormally open local'circuit including a source ofenergy as a battery 25 and a circuit' closer 26, the latter being heldnormally in circuit opening position by means of the hooked extremity ofan armature 27 disposed within theinfluence of the respective magnet 22.

p In practice, the drums of the circuit closers on the trains arerotated in such manner that the segment 7 of the circuit closer on onetrain bridges the brushes 14 and 19,

while the similar segment on the other train bridges the brushes 19 and20, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. Assuming the circuit closersto be in the position shown in the figure of the drawing, the battery 5on train T will supply energy to the magnet 22 on train T whereby thearmature 27 on the last-mentioned train will be actuatedto release thecircuit closer 26 and so close the local signal circuit. The path of thecurrent from the train T to the train T may be traced as follows;battery 5 on train T, conductor 13, brush 14, segment 7 brush 19,conductor 18, contact roller 17, conductor 2, contact roller 17 :oftrain T, conductor 18, brush 19, segment 7 of the last mentioned train,brush 20, electromagnet 22, car axle and wheel, line of rails 1, thewheel and axle of train T and conductor, 15. In the continued movementof the drums of the PatentedAug -26, 1 91 3.

Also contacting with the means may be employed for rotating thecircircuit closers under the action of the driving motors thereof, thesegment 7 of the circuit closer on t-rainT bridges'the brushes 19 and20, while the segment 8 of the circuit closer on train T bridges thebrushes 14 and 19. Thus the electromagnet 22- on train T is energizedwith the efl'ect' to close the local signal circuit of such train.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, the construction and mode of operation of my invention will bereadily apparent. It is to be understood that the circuit closers of thetrains are timed or operated in such manner relatively to each otherthat the brushes-14 and 19-of one train are bridged,-

While the brushes 19 and 20 of the other train arebridged. Thus, thesignals of the trains are energized or operated successively 'or oneafter the other.

I claim:

In a railway signal system, a sectional conductor a continuousconductor, a source of energy carried by each train and havin one sidein electrical communication witli one of said conductors,

a circuit closer upon each tram comprising a drum embodying twometallicsegments insulated from each .other, .a motor for-"rotating;said drum, a

brush adapted to contact withthc segments of said drum-and connected,with the other side of sa d source of energy, a second brush bearingupon the drum and electrically con-i nected withthe other conductor, athird brush bearingupon said drum and clectri cally connected with thefirst-mentioned conductor, a magnet in electrical communicaone s'eginentof the drum, while the second and last-named brushes of anothertrain are bridged'by one of the segments of the respective drum wherebythe source of energy on one train will energize "the magnet; onanother-train.

In testimony whereof in presence of two witnesses.

. JOHN LEITGEB; Witnesses:

r v ROBERT ECROWLEY,

. BENJ. J. E'vANs;

Copies of this pat ent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Washington, 1!. G.

. Commissioner of Patents.

I atlix my signature

